Poulter wins Houston Open in a playoff
One-hole playoff victory over Hossler gives 42-year-old Englishman a spot in Masters
A year ago, a down-in-the-dumps Ian Poulter wasn’t sure what his future as a touring golf pro held. A week ago, back in a deep funk again following an ultimately disheartening visit to Austin for the World Golf Championships match-play tournament, Poulter wasn’t sure if he was returning to Texas from his home in Orlando for the Houston Open.
The only thing he was certain about at that juncture, he admits, is that he would be in Augusta for the Masters this week — as a Sky News commentator.
That gig has been canceled, however, because Poulter has other business in Georgia. He will instead be teeing off Thursday on No. 1 at Augusta National Golf Club, having claimed the final spot in the season’s first major with what became an anticlimactic victory in a one-hole playoff over Beau Hossler early Easter Sunday evening.
Hossler, of course, is the same
young man with whom Poulter had shared the third-round lead when they headed down the first fairway at the Golf Club of Houston shortly after noon. They made for an odd couple, to be sure. Poulter, 42, began scratching out a living as a teaching professional near where he’s from — about 40 miles north of London — in 1995. That’s the same year Hossler, 23, was born in Mission Viejo, Calif.
A father of four and a Ryder Cup hero, the care-worn and oft controversial Englishman had seen it all. The PGA Tour rookie Hossler had seen little, although he did briefly lead the 2012 U.S. Open at the age of 17, which spoke to his vast potential, something that hasn’t dimmed any despite a nightmarish bunker-to-water-hazard triple-bogey playoff finish in his first chance to win anywhere as a pro.
This after he had come from three swings down, making three back-nine birdies in succession at one point, to seize a one-shot lead with one hole remaining in regulation.
After Hossler’s tee shot on the tournament’s 72nd hole landed in the same fairway bunker that led to his downfall later, he needed to sink a 30-foot putt to claim his first Masters berth. He appeared to stroke it perfectly, and the ball tantalizingly wobbled on the lip before rolling past the hole.
“He was off and running. He took his hat off, and his putter was in the air ready to give me the pump. And rightfully so,” Poulter said of Hossler’s reaction, appropriately frenetic for a guy who believed he’d just won $1.26 million and a prized free Masters pass. “It was a good putt. I thought he’d holed the putt.” As did Hossler. “I did think I’d made it,” he said. “But it hung out there. Ian basically had the same putt, and there’s no way he was going to miss it after watching my ball. I gave Ian the perfect read (for him) to make his putt. I knew he was going to make it.” As did Poulter. “I hit a great putt,” he said. “I had a good read. It was very helpful seeing (the break) on his putt.”
Sand, water don’t mix
Poulter’s 20-footer found the center of the cup, getting him to 19 under, too, and prompting some wild chest-beating on his part. So back to the 18th tee box they went. Once there, darned if Hossler didn’t plunk his ball right back in the same bunker to the right front of the green, and he subsequently watched in disbelief as his next shot flew the green, disappearing into the drink, pretty much ensuring his triple bogey.
Poulter calmly tapped in for par before he uncalmly began waving his arms everywhere.
“It was a good decision to come, to be aggressive right from the start and try to force my way in (to the Masters),” he said. “It’s been an amazing week, a rollercoaster ride.”
In Austin, he had been told his quarterfinal status there had nudged him into the top 50 in the rankings, enough to earn him his 13th Masters start.
It was bad information, however, and that unnerved him so badly he got clobbered in the semifinals, leaving him 51st at the deadline and meaning he had to win Houston to have a reason to lug his clubs to Augusta.
But, he insisted, “The win just doesn’t mean getting into Augusta. There’s a lot bigger things on the horizon.
“It’s been a long road the last couple of years with my (foot) injury and whether I’ve got my PGA Tour card or not. The journey continues. I’ve had 19 good years on tour, and I guess I’ve got another couple coming. I think I’ve got some good golf left in me. I think I proved it this week. There’s life in the old dog yet.”
Poulter became the fifth player in six years to earn the final Masters spot by winning Houston, which has been the last tournament before the season’s first major since 2007. But starting in 2019 the slot will belong to San Antonio’s PGA Tour event.
Only one other Brit, Paul Casey in 2009, has prevailed here, in an event that dates to 1946. Poulter missed the cut his last time he played in 2014, but he had tied for 21st in 2006, the same spring the tournament debuted on the current course.
A 4½-foot birdie putt on the 597-yard par-5 15th hole had given Hossler, the solo 36-hole front-runner, his first lead of the day after both he and Poulter had gone off 14 under. They shot matching final-round 67s.
“It’s unfortunate to go out like that,” Hossler said of his unfortunate demise. “But it’s a really tough hole. I knew I had to be pretty aggressive with that bunker shot going over the ridge and just hit a little too clean.”
Hence … splash.
Spieth ties for third
Former Masters and U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth, fourth in the World Golf Rankings, fashioned a closing 66 to tie for third place with Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo, who shot a 68. Defending champion Russell Henley had the day’s best round, a 65, to tie for eighth place.
Poulter is returning to the Masters as a participant for the 13th time. He had qualified 10 years in a row before missing out last spring. His best finish there came in 2015, when he tied for sixth.
Hossler, for his part, goes back to the drawing board rather than jetting off to Augusta. Still, by any measure, he took a big step forward from what had happened to him at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, where he shared the 36-hole lead with Dustin Johnson before imploding, shooting 74-76 on the weekend.
“I told him, ‘Well played,’ ” Poulter said, “because he played really well. He didn’t get off to the best of starts (only parring the first seven holes), and I was obviously pretty strong on the front nine (birdieing four of the first eight). But he’s got a long career ahead of him.”
Hossler sounded like he understands.
“I said yesterday I wanted to beat these guys at their best, and I think I saw Ian’s best today,” Hossler said. “It’s a bummer (to lose), but I’m very proud of the way I played.”